Once the rash is there, not much you can do. If it is just the first sign of it, I have used Zanfel https://www.treecaresupplies.com/SE-F-2080-ZANFEL-POISON-IVY-WASH.html twice. The first time was 2 days after the rash started and I don't think it helped...I used it several times. The 2nd time was less than 15 minutes after I noticed the bumps and it was gone the next day. So inconclusive results so far...

Keep it dry...don't put moisturizers on as you want your skin to dry out...anything that causes that is good. I put Gold Bond powder on it. That relieves the itching temporarily and dries out your skin.

My wife gets it from my clothes lol I rarely get it but have got a bump or so if i get it in a scratch. While this is definitely not a cure take the hottest shower you can stand. I mean just short of scalding and it will give you temporary relief I promise. My legs itch from may to August from unbelievable chiggars we have here and the best relief I have found from itching is; hot hot water.

You have to understand that your body is reacting to the oils from the PI that got on your skin. If you already have the scratch its too late. There might still be oil on the skin even after washing it so there are a few things you can try to limit the spread. Get some fels naptha soap and wash with it or wet the bar and rub it on the areas. I also try to wash really well with a combination of Permatex 01013 Blue Labell Cream Hand Cleaner (grit free) and dawn dish soap or dial soap.

You have to understand that your body is reacting to the oils from the PI that got on your skin. If you already have the scratch its too late. There might still be oil on the skin even after washing it so there are a few things you can try to limit the spread. Get some fels naptha soap and wash with it or wet the bar and rub it on the areas. I also try to wash really well with a combination of Permatex 01013 Blue Labell Cream Hand Cleaner (grit free) and dawn dish soap or dial soap.

Then there is this guys method.

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I dare you to rub it on and leave it for 8 hours before washing. We always go with one hour or less . Wash 3 times with Gojo or Dawn and scrub good and I only get like a few tiny dots of it at the most.

My wife gets it from my clothes lol I rarely get it but have got a bump or so if i get it in a scratch. While this is definitely not a cure take the hottest shower you can stand. I mean just short of scalding and it will give you temporary relief I promise. My legs itch from may to August from unbelievable chiggars we have here and the best relief I have found from itching is; hot hot water.

Zanfel is costly but it works. I am one of the chosen few that don't get it but my wife sure does. We do keep a felsnapth (?) bar in the trucks at work and ivy dry. For the guys on my crew that get it, this has helped greatly.

Thanks for all the replies! I've popped the blisters with a needle and bleached it. Now I'm keeping calamine lotion on it. The swelling and itching have eased, now it's just sore to the touch which is a welcome relief.

Step 1 - Prevention: Avoid it if at all possible. Learn to recognize it.

Step 2 - First care: Get it off ASAP. Given time, the usishiol oil will bond with your skin, so wash it off as soon as possible.
Use some kind of oil-removing product - Dawn dishsoap, detergent, Tecnu, mineral spirits, etc.
Wipe it off carefully so you don't rub it in. (Watch the second video in Post #5 by Marshy). Do this a few times, even using different products.

Step 3 - Second care: Deal with the rash/itch. A number of products can help relieve the itch and/or dry out the rash if it's bad enough.
IvyDry, Tecnu Extreme, etc. If it's really bad, the hospital shot does wonders.

Step 4 - Third care: wash your clothing/tools/other infected items carefully. Clothes should be run in the washer by themselves, maybe even multiple times.
(Some suggest running the washer empty after that before going back to regular laundry).

Step 5 - Final care: Suck it up and deal with it, but maybe post a pic or two on Arboristsite

Step 6 - Follow up: Smack yourself in the head to help you remember to do Step 1 next time.

Check out Jewel Weed online. I'd never heard of it until the other day. You can make a paste that supposedly cures poison ivy. You can buy jewel weed soap. After someone showed me what it looked like I saw that a big patch was growing 20ft from the tree that gave me poison ivy. I guess poison ivy and jewel weed grow together sometimes. I haven't tried it yet but just throwing it out there.

I've got it. Does anyone have any good remedies to get rid of it. I would like to avoid steroids as they screw with my blood sugar to much?

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I got some on a Saturday 3 weeks ago, but didn't experience any itching until Monday. Dummy me had some vines in my way of a back cut near an old out-building, the saw was already running, so I waved the bar among the vines and apparently shot the poison across my bare arms. Poison ivy can be left to run its course, but an anti-itch lotion makes it bearable. Calamine lotions seems to work best, but a coworker turned me onto Sarna anti-itch lotion. He had some and let me try it ... worked great but smells bad. I went to the pharmacy and found a scent-free version of Sarna and applied it to my arms about 3 times a day until the itching went away.